Car-axle box and lid



2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

Patented Mai?. 9.1897.

A. C. MGGORD. GAR AXLB B0X AND LID.

(No Model.)

To-Llmo., WASHINGTON c (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. C. MGCRD.'

^ GAR AXLBBOX AND LID.

No. 57S521. i Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATEINTQQEELCE ALVIN c. MccoRD, "on cHIcAGo, ILLINOIS.

CAR-AXLE Box AND LID. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,521, dated March 9,1897.

Application tiled November 18, 1896. Serial No. 612,580. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concer/t:

Be it known that I, ALyIN C. MCCORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Axle Boxes and Lids,which are fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional front elevation of my improved axle-box and lid, section being made at the plane indicated by the line l l on Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section at the line 2 2 on Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail inner side elevation of the hinge end of the cover. Fig. lis an elevation showingmyimproved lid when made of pressed steel. Fig. 5 is a section at the line 5 5 on. Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of a blank partly shaped up, showing a specic preferred construction of the lid when made of pressed steel. Fig. 7 is an edge elevation of such lid.

The axle-box Ais of ordinary construction except in so far as it is adapted in detail at points hereinafter described to receive my improved lid. B is the lid. Upon the upper side of the box, midway in its width, there is formed aboss or lug A for the purpose of hinging the lid thereto. The lid is formed with a hood-like hollovtT boss B', erected midway in its width at the upper part of its length and extending up far enough to cover the boss A' at the upper side. This hood B constitutes the housing for the spring C, and side webs B10 B10 of the hood in the cast form of my invention afford the support for the pivots of the lid on the box, for from the inner surface of the webs B10l trunnions B11 B11 protrude inwardly, taking into the pivotsockets A11 A11 in the opposite sides of the boss A on the box. Vhen'this form is adopted, the hinge-trunnions B11 reach their seats in the pivot-sockets through the slots A1o A10,

` near its lower or forward edge, has a lip B2,

which is adapted to pass into the box-opening and to engage the lower edge or lip A2 of that opening to divert the oil which ows down the inner side of the lid back into the box, and also to coperate with other features to lock the lid when it is seated. The boss A at the opposite edges has the shoulders A12 A12 parallel with the face ofthe box-opening on which the lid seats, and the lid B has in the corners ofthe hood B interior bosses or blocks B12, which form shoulders Z912, conformed to and adapted to seat upon the shoulders A12 when the lid is swung down onto the face of the box and the pivot-trunnions are at the lower limit of theirelon gated sockets A11; but said blocks B12 are cut away at the. forward side to terminate the shoulders 512 at such point that when the lid is pushed up so that the trunnions are at the upper end of the sockets said shoulders are clear of the shoulders A12, `and the lid may be swung upward freely, the forward corner of the shoulders Z912 following over the rear or upper curve of the boss A', as shown by the dotted-line position in Fig. 2; butit will be noticed that before the swinging movement of the lid can be made the shoulders 1912 must be clear of the shoulders A12 and that the lid having been. pushed up to this point the lifting of the lid to the slightest extent tends to lock the lid against sliding down again, because thereby the shoulder Z212 is carried over the upper corner of the shoulder A12 onto the upper curve of the lug A', and the lid is therebyY retained with its pivot at the upper end of the socket throughout the remainder of the opening movement.

Upon inspection it will be seen that in the specific form illustrated, in which the abutment on the lid is outside of and rides on the abutment of the box, the locking of the lid against sliding except when it is resting upon the face of the box is dependent upon the fact that the shoulder A12, formed by cutting away y A coincides with the path of sliding ofthe cor-- ner of the abutment is a chord and not atan- I'DO gent is due to the fact that said corner has moved less than ninety degrees in the swinging movement from the point at which it was in line with the center of the elongated bearing of the pivot in order to reach the point at which the lid seats on the box-face, since if it had traveled ninety degrees the path of sliding from that point would be tangent to its path of rotation up to that point and not a chord. The effectiveness of the device as a means of preventing the sliding of the lid before it seats on the box-face is greatly increased by this characteristic. The upwardsliding movement of the lid necessary to disengage the shoulders, also disengages the lips A2 and B2, and also tends to increase the tension of the spring C, which is secured to the lid at its lower end and which is caused to slide at its upper end on the corner A13 ofthe boss in a direction not parallel to the spring, and the opening movement of the lid is made against the tension of the spring until such m ovement has proceeded to the point at which the reaction of the spring on the corner or angle A13 is in a direction radial to the pivot, and from that point on until the spring becomes tangent to the curve of the rear upper side of the boss its tension tends to lift the load, and its friction on the curve of the boss after this point is passed tends to hold it whereever it may be set. The locking of the cover is therefore effected both at the hinge end by the engagement of the shoulders A12 and Z112 and at the lower end by the engagement of the lips A2 and I make the elongation of the socket A11 and the lap of the shoulders Z212 and A12 greater than the engagement of the lips A2 and B2, so that when the lid is closing the engagement of the shoulders occurs iirst and insures the complete closing of the lid down onto the boX before any sliding movement can t-ake place, and thereby prevents the possibility of a Jfailure to enter the lip B2 within the boX and to engage it behind the lip A2. It will be noticed that this structure permits the formation of the hood B s0 that its upper web at the point B14 may come down snugly onto the upper side of the boss A when the lid is closed, thereby eX- cluding all dust at that end, but leaves it free and at some distance from the upper side of the boss throughout the swinging movement, as will be understood from the dottedline position in Fig. :2. This is of considerable importance, because when the construction is such that the lid is obliged to swing about a pivot whose position is unchanged either the fit of the lid at any part corresponding to the hood B' on any part of the box corresponding to the boss A must be made so free and loose that dust is liable to enter, or if it is to be made close the parts must be machined or dressed into accurate form by the tool, an ordinary casting with its natural rough surface being incapable of being fitted so closely as to exclude dust without danger of increasing the difficulty of swinging the lid to a degree liable to cause the lid to be broken in the operation. It should be noticed also that although this lid has two movements in opening-first, a sliding movement, and, secondJ a swinging movement-the operator is under no necessity to regard this fact, because when he seizes the nose B15 of the lid to open it the natural upward movement will first slide it upward, disengaging its locked parts at the hinge and lip and then swinging it up. Also in closing the lid no attention need be paid to the peculiar features of construction, the lid being simply swung down regardless of the locking devices, because as soon as the two shoulders A12 and Z912 come into line the action of the spring C and gravity tends to cause the @over to slide down, and the initiation of this slid-I ing movementprevents any return of the lid, which might be caused by rebound from the box, and the continuously-sliding movement is thereby assured until the shoulder is fully engaged and the lips are locked.

rPhe spring may be secured at its lower end to the lid in any convenient manner, somewhat otherwise when the lid is pressed than when it is cast, but I do not herein make claim to either of the modes of fastening illust-rated, which will therefore not be described beyond the statement that the spring is rigidly held at that end.

I prefer to make my improved box so that if the lid designed for it is lost an ordinary lid may be employed, and for that purpose I perforate the lug A/ from side to side at the point at which the pivot-trunnions are seated when the lid is free to swing, that is, at the upper end of the elongated sockets. This is the position at which an ordinary pivot-bolt would be required to secure an ordinary lid, and the extension of the aperture through the lug in no manner interferes with the operation of my lid designed for the box.

Vhen it is desired to make this lid of pressed steel instead of casting it, certain detail modiiications may be adopted with advantage. The blocks B12 are in such construction most conveniently riveted in place in the corners 0f the hood B, as shown in Fig. The trunnions B11 are preferably replaced by a continuous bolt 1910, which may extend through the lug A', which is correspondingly modified by having the elongated pivot-sockets extended through the boss instead of being formed merely in its opposite sides, as is sufiicient when only the trunnions are to be 4received in such seats. The trunnions, however, may be em- -ployed in the pressed-steel construction, in

which case the change described will not be made in the formation of thc boss A'; but in order to secure the trunnions rigidly, as they should be, to the lid, since they cannot be made integral with it when it is formed of pressed steel, and since they would not be sufficiently rigid if merely rooted in the side webs of the hood, as in the case of the cast form, I prefer to form the lid when of pressed IIO Igo

.steel from a blank, such as illustra-ted in Fig.

6, in which, in addition to the material necessary to form the hood, (which is shown already pressed into shape in Fig. 6,) there are lugs `B4 B4 projecting from the upper edge and adapted to be folded, as seen in Fig. 7, to

.form an eye which will clasp the trunnion or pivot-bolt, and to make this eye secure I terminate the lug in a reduced rivet-tongueb4, which is inserted through an aperture Z940 when the lug is folded to form the eye, and is'clasped down upon the upper side of the sheet metal, as shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7. If

.the trunnion is inserted while the pressed steel AVhen adapting the lug B4 to the use of a continuous bolt, which is preferable with a pressed-steel lid,the pivot-socket, elongated to permit the movement of the pivot-bolt, is extended entirely through the lug. In order to ,adapt the box in this form to receive an ordinary lid, I make the slot for a smaller bolt than is customarily employed as a pivot for .the ordinary lid, and at the upper portion of the slot- I enlarge .it to conform to the usual size of bolt, the excess necessary to accommodate the larger bolt being cut away at the rear side, as seen in Fig. 5. This excess in this position no more interferes with the action of the device when mylid is employed than does the excess of aperture,which consists in boring through the lug to accommodate the bolt in the form shown in Fig. l, because the spring in any event tends to hold the pivot-bolt against the forward side of the slot, but when the ordinary lid has to be substituted and secured by the ordinary bolt such ordinary bolt is as perfectly held as if there were no elongation of the aperture below it. In the pressedsteel form the lip B2 is riveted on, as seen in Fig. 5.

I claim i l. In combination with the car-axle box having the lug A at the top, said lug having trunnion-sockets in its opposite sides, and slots leading from the rear of the lug to such sockets respectively, and having the for# wardly-projecting angle A13 in front of the pivoted line of the hinge; the lid having the hood B' overhanging the lug, 'and the spring secured to the lid and extending within such hood and bearing upon said forwardly-projecting angle of the lug; the hood having trunnions projecting inwardly toward each other from its opposite sides adapted toy seat in the trunnion-sockets and to enter the same through the slots leading thereto.

2. In combination with a box having at the upper side a boss provided with pivot-bearings for the lid which are elongated in the direction of the face of the box, the lid pivoted to the box at such elongated bearing and having a hood which overhangs the pivot; a spring secured to the lid and extending within such hood and bearing upon the forward side of the lug with a tendency to hold thelid closed, said hood being adapted to come into contact with and stop at the upper side of the lug above the pivot and rearward of the bearing of the spring against such lug when the pivot is at the lower limit of the elongated bearing, and to be clear of the upper surface of the lug when the pivot is at the upper limit of the bearings.

3. In combination with the box, the lid hinged thereto at the top and adapted to swing about its hinge to reach the face of the box and to slide at said hinge transversely to the pivot thereof and in a direction parallel to the face of the box; abutments on the box and lid respectively which are engaged throughout the swinging movement of the lid about its hingepivot until the lid seats on the face of the box and pass out of engagement at the point at which the lid so seats, whereby the sliding movement of the lid is prevented until the lid is seated on the face of the box and permitted after such seating has occurred; and means for locking the lid by such sliding. Y

4. In combination with the box, the lid hinged thereto and adapted to swing about its hingev to reach the face of the box, the pivot of such hinge beingliixed with respect to the lid, and the box having bearings for such pivot slotted or elongated in a direction parallel to the face of the box, the lid and box having cooperating parts about the lidpivot, of which the part which pertains to the lid bears on the part which pertains to the box while the lid is swinging over from open to closed position at the upper limit of the range of the sliding movement of the pivot, thesaid part on the box being cut away at least to a line parallel with the box-face commencing at the last point passed by the part on the lid when the lid reaches the box-face; whereby said part on the box presentsobstruction to the sliding movement of the lid IOO IIO

until the latter is seated on the face of the I box and oers no obstruction to the sliding lmovement thereafter; and means for locking the lid by such sliding movement.v

5. In combination with the box, the lid hinged thereto andradapted to swing about its hinge to reach the face of the box, the pivot of such hinge being iixed with respect to the lid, and the box having bearings for such pivot slotted or elongated in a direction parallel to the face of the box, the lid and the sliding movement of the lid when the lid reaches the box-face, one of said parts being continued from the point at which they pass out of such engagement in a plane parallel to the face of the lid, whereby reverse rotation after the sliding of the lid is prevented.

6. In combination with the box and thelid hinged thereto at the upper side and adapted to swing about such ,hinge to reach the face of the box and to slide on the face of the box, the lid and the box having cooperating abutments, the abutment on the lid riding on the abutment ofthe box as the lid swings about its pivot at the upper limit of the range of its sliding movement; the one of said abutments which is interior or nearer the pivotal axis of the hinge being cut away at the plane of a chord of the arc of the path of contact of the two abutments in the swinging movement of the lid, and parallel to the plane of its sliding movement on the box-face, the other abutment being cut away at a plane coinciding with Ithe plane of said chord when the lid is seated on the box-face.

7. In combination with the box and the lid hinged thereto at the upper side and adapted to swing about such hinge to reach the face of the box and to slide on the face of the box, the abutment on the lid riding on the abutment of the box as the lid swings about its pivot at the upper limit of the range of its movemen t, said abutment on the lid being so located that from the point at which it is in a plane containing the axis of the pivot of the hinge and parallel to the face of the box until the lid'reaches the face of the box, it travels through less than ninety degrees about the axis of the pivot, said abutment on the box being cut back toward said axis at least to a line parallel to a plane at the face of the box commencing at the point reached by the corner of the abutment on the lid when said lid reaches the box-face.

8. In combination with the box having the lug A at the top provided with pivot-bearings for the lid which are elongated in the direction of the face of the box; the lid pivoted at such bearings and adapted. to slide on the face of the box and having an abutment B12, whose corner rides over the lug as the lid swings about said pivot at its highest position, said corner being so located that from the point at which it is in line with the center of its elongated bearing until the lid reaches the face of the box, it travels through less than ninety degrees about the center of said swinging movement, said lug being cut back toward said center, at least to a line parallel to the face of the box, commencing at the point reached by said corner when the lid reaches the box-face.

9. In combination with the box having the lug A at the top provided with pivot-bearings for the lid which are elongated in the direction of the face of the box, the lid pivoted at such bearings and adapted to slide on the face of the box and having an abutment B12 whose corner rides over the lug as the lid swings about said pivot at its highest position, said corner being so located that from the point at which it is in li-ne with the center of said elongated bearing until the lid reaches the face of the box, it travels through less than ninety degrees about the center of said swinging movement; said lug being cut back toward the center, at least to a line parallel to the face of the box, commencing at the point reached by said corner when the lid reaches the box-face, the lid having a lip on its inner surface adapted to overhang and engage within the lower margin of the box-opening, the sliding movement permitted by the elongation of the bearings being greater than the engagement of the lip behind said margin.

l0. In combination with the car-axle box havin ga boss-at the top provided with a pivotbearing for the lid elongated in the direction of the face of the box, and the lid pivoted at such elongated bearings; the lug being apertured from side to side at the upper end of said elongated bearing to receive the pivotbolt; the bolt-aperture thus provided being more extensive in some directions than the pivot-bearings, whereby7 a bolt suitable for said bolt aperture, being inserted therethrough, is retained at the upper end of said elongated bearings notwithstanding their elongation.

11. A car-axle-boxlid of pressed sheet metal formed from a blank having thelug B4 terminating in the rivet-terminal h4 and folded to embrace the pivot bolt or trunnion; the rivetterminal b1 penetrating the sheet metal and clenched down thereupon; substantially as set forth.

l2. In combination with the box having the lug A4 at the top, the lid hinged at such lug and adapted to slide at the hinge transversely to the pivot thereof; the lug having the forwardly-projecting angle A13 in front of the pivotal line of the hinge; the spring C secured to the lid and having its upper end adapted to bear upon said projecting angle, and extending thence in a direction approaching the plane of the face of the box; substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, at Chicago, Illinois, this 14th day of November,

ALVIN C. MCCORD. Vitnesses:

CHAs. S. BURTON, JEAN ELLIOTT.

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